The Bear Mountain nature trails were established in
1927. Thousands of various types of out-of-door signs and labels have
been placed along two miles of trails since the inception of the
undertaking. Constant experimentation has been necessary to permit the
development of ways and means of preparing signs for many purposes.

Numerous inquiries have been received regarding, 1)
physical methods of constructing frames; 2) lettering; 3) painting; 4)
general design of labels, and 5) materials used. This brief outline of
instruction concerns (a) the construction of nature trail labels in
summer camps and (b) the building of more or less permanent nature trail
signs in parks.

We have used the following types of signs in building
camp trails:

Paper and Linen Tags: We have secured tags
made both of linen and of the so-called "Fiber Waterproof" or "Oak Tag."
Materials of this nature may be secured from any reliable tag
manufacturing firm. We have found that the best dimension is 4-1/4 x
2-1/8". This size presents nine square inches of label space. The tags
may be affixed to stakes, trees, or to out-of-door objects by means of
either wire or string. India ink may be used for lettering, or a
typewriter may be employed. A good grade of outdoor varnish will
preserve these labels for a long time. We have always believed that it
is well to vary the majority of camp trail labels from year to year;
therefore a sign that will be well preserved for several months is quite
satisfactory.

Burned Letter Labels: Attractive wooden signs,
either of cross-sectioned cedar, fiat board surfaces, or other wooden
types, may be constructed by burning the letters either with a
pyrography set, or with the new electric needles obtainable at hardware
stores. Scratch in letters with a sharp instrument before burning. In
regions where vandalism is not a problem, these picturesque signs are
certainly desirable.

Illustrated Labels: It is possible to use
colored post card flower pictures along a nature trail, especially in
connection with flowering plants that have "gone by" as far as the
flower is concerned. It is often desirable to use bird pictures similar
to those issued by the National Audubon Society. These colored pictures
may be fastened to board or composition board surfaces with glue,
covered with heavy spar varnish or with bakelite spray, and then further
protected by a wooden molding tacked completely around the edge. We have
found, however, that some of the colors fade or change perceptibly in
spite of varnishing. Otherwise they stand the weather for one or two
years.

Typewritten labels: Where labels are to be
changed frequently and the typewriter comes into play, it has sometimes
been found desirable to use a fairly stiff grade of linen typewriter
paper or light cover stock. An ordinary typewriter ribbon may be used.
The paper may then be affixed to a composition board backing and well
covered with spar varnish to prevent moisture damage to the typing.

Art Labels: Some nature counselors desire to
illustrate lettered labels by means of India ink drawings. This may be
accomplished either upon cloth or upon paper or wooden signs. Oil paints
also may be employed provided they are well covered with spar varnish.
Label diagrams are often useful. It always should be borne in mind that
the natural object holds principal interest. The label serves the
function of interpreting, identifying and explaining. Labels are but
mechanical means to educational ends and, in no case, should a nature
trail be considered an "art gallery" wherein natural science is
concerned.

It seems advisable to design semi-permanent,
descriptive labels for city and state park trails. The following methods
have been used successfully at Bear Mountain:

I. Metal label on wooden frame.

Construction: (1) Make frames of 3/4" x 1"
chestnut or any hard, durable wood. (2) Cut sheet metal to fit and nail
to frames. (3) Drill two small holes through metal and wood about one
inch apart at top and bottom of each label for wiring to stakes.

Etching the sheet metal: Galvanized sheet
metal must be "etched" with acid to prepare it for paint. (Otherwise the
paint is apt to peel in a short time.) Sheet zinc does not require
etching. However, we prefer galvanized metal, for it is harder. Here are
two methods of etching galvanized sheet metal: Before employing either
method, roughen the metal by rubbing with emery cloth.

1. Vinegar: (a) Paint or wash the metal faces
of the labels with vinegar, making certain that the entire area is well
covered. (b) Allow to dry thoroughly. (c) Wash in water and dry
again.

Painting: (1) Priming coat: Use a good
galvanized metal primer as a first coat. This provides a better bond
with the metal than ordinary paint. Use a small amount of paint and
"brush it out". This helps to prevent peeling and blistering; (2) Second
and third coats: These two coats should be, of course, of whatever color
has been decided upon for the labels. The main requirement is that a
good, flat paint should be used. This is the most satisfactory paint for
lettering and illustrating. At the Trailside Museum our trail labels are
of three colors: green for botany, brown for geology, and white for
zoology. The great majority of our labels are green and we have always
tried to get a shade of green that will blend with the color of the
leaves as much as possible, in order to make the labels inconspicuous
and thus preserving the beauty of the trail.

Lettering and illustrating: (1) India Ink:
We consider this the best material for lettering as it can be used with
ordinary lettering pens. A No. 1 (very soft) pencil should be used to
draw in guide lines and preliminary lettering. If the paint is not flat
enough and the ink "draws" or does not "take", one of the following
remedies will usually aid: (a) First try washing the label face with
water and drying. (b) If the trouble persists, wash with vinegar, or
turpentine, and dry. (c) For stubborn cases, wash with a fairly strong
solution of "Clorox", and dry.

Oil paints: If so desired, any oil paint may
be used for lettering or illustrating. Allow several days for drying
when using artists' oils.

3. Water colors: Ordinary water colors or show
card colors also may be employed and are especially suitable for
illustrating.

4. Printer's ink: It has been found
practicable to use printer's ink for the purpose of transferring
imprints of leaves to labels. This may be done by coating a soft rubber
roller with a small amount of ink and then inking the leaf evenly. Place
the leaf, inked side down, upon the label, cover with a sheet of paper,
and rub. The imprint of the leaf will be inked upon the label. It is
well to experiment upon newspaper first.

Varnishing: First erase pencil lines with art gum.
The faces, and at least the edges of the labels, should then be given
two or three coats of a good grade of spar or exterior varnish in order
to preserve their appearance. We have found that varnish with a high
bakelite content is most satisfactory. Rub the labels lightly with a
cloth dampened with turpentine between coats to prevent "drawing". After
being placed upon the trail, they should be revarnished from time to
time, according to their locations: if exposed directly to the sun,
about every two months; if located in the shade, about every six months.
Frequent varnishing is especially necessary if water colors have been
used.

Label posts and wiring; With one or two
exceptions, our nature trail labels are wired to stakes driven into the
ground in front of the objects described rather than to the trees
themselves. We have always been fortunate enough to obtain sufficient
saplings averaging 1-1/2" in diameter to supply our needs from various
sections of park land which were being cleared for one purpose or
another. In this way we have not had to destroy young trees to obtain
our label posts. We have found that cedar and locust make the most
enduring stakes, although, in southern states we recommend the use of
metal posts to prevent termite damage. Posts should be well-seasoned
after cutting. Shave the bark from the section of stake which is to go
into the ground and point the end. The shaved section should be treated
in a hot creosote bath for best results.

Method No. 1 for wiring label to stake: Use a
No. 14 gauge, soft galvanized strand wire. Bend short lengths of this
wire into U shapes. Draw the two ends of a bent wire through the pair of
holes drilled at the top of the label. Repeat for the holes at the
bottom of the label. Place the label against the stake so that each pair
of wires straddles the stake. Then pull tight and twist the ends
together with pliers. Cut off the surplus wire at an angle --- thus
producing a sharp point that will discourage those attempting to tamper
with the wire. The above method is fairly satisfactory but when the
wire becomes loose, the label may be turned on the stake or lifted off
entirely. This may be prevented by using the following, more complicated
method:

Method No. 2 for wiring labels to stakes: Wire
the bottom of the label to the stake as in Method No. 1. Then drill a
3/16" hole through the stake just above the top of the label. Put the
wire through the top pair of holes and around the stake as in Method No.
1 but do not twist the ends. Bring them back through the hole prepared
in the stake --- pull tight --- wrap around to the back of the stake
again, and then twist the ends together and cut.

II. All-metal labels

Follow the above directions, omitting the wooden
frames. It is not advisable to use plain metal labels where there is any
chance of vandalism as they are easily bent. Many uses may be found for
very small all-metal labels fastened on stakes and bearing numbers only.
These are prepared in the same way as the larger labels, the wooden
frame being omitted. A good size is 2" x 2", or they may be cut in the
silhouette of an acorn or a leaf. These numbered labels may be used in
many ways, and especially in the following: Along "test" trails or on
trails where in conspicuous labels are desired. Mimeographed sheets may
be prepared as a key to the numbered labels. For concentration gardens
where many labels are required for a small area, a large "key label" may
be placed upon a board at the front of the garden. A garden labeled in
this way also may be used as a means of testing science or botany
students.

III. Wall-board labels

A hard-finish, dense type of wall-board may be sawed
to the proper sizes and used with or without wooden frames. Paint with
two coats of flat paint, front arid back -- letter and varnish. A sample
of the wall board should be tested for resistance to exposure before
proceeding. As in the case of No. II, this type of label cannot be used
where vandalism is present.

IV. Paper signs

Cover stock or bristol board may be lettered or
typewritten, given two or three coats of varnish, and used as follows:
(A) Stake labels. Tack the lettered and varnished paper to a light
wooden frame which has been fastened to a wooden stake. (B) Out-of-door
bulletin board material: Tack the paper labels directly to the board or,
better still, to a piece of shellacked and varnished wall-board which
has been cut to fit the bulletin board. This permits the removal of the
entire display without damaging the labels. Paper buckling may be
noticed when using this type of label. This may be remedied in part by
nailing a light wooden molding about the edges of each label. The most
satisfactory method is to glue the label to the wall-board before either
is varnished. Next, nail on the molding and then shellac the exposed
surface of the wall board. Finally, give the entire display, labels and
all, at least two coats of spar varnish. Photographs, reproductions of
photographs, paintings, or drawings, may be used with very good
effect.

NOTE: We have been advised by the research
departments of various paint companies to try the following method of
preparing our metal labels: (a) Wash metal surface with vinegar and
allow to dry. (b) Paint with one or two coats of the new type,
"bakelite" or rubber-base automobile enamel. (c) Letter and illustrate
with the same type enamel in another color, using a brush.

This seems to be the most durable system for label
work. Varnish, the weak link in our method, is eliminated entirely. This
new, weather-resisting enamel has been used satisfactorily to refinish
automobiles. This method would, however, require the use of a brush for
lettering, -- a more painstaking operation than lettering with pens and
India ink. Considering the number of damaged signs that must be replaced
and the new labels that must be prepared each year as trails are
developed, we prefer to use the faster, simpler method of lettering with
India ink up on flat paint.